TBT: A Mother's Love

During my years in England, I would often see a pattern or yarn and send it to my mother in the United States to make me something. I may have bombarded her with suggestions but she was getting very good quality yarn free and it was also very inexpensive for me to both buy and mail. The dollar was strong in those days and bought quite a bit in the late 60s and into the 70s.

Years later my mother told me this was one of her favorite patterns and she made it for herself in a multitude of colors. She found the mohair sweater idea for chilly nights when she and my father took a Florida vacation every winter. I never saw those sweaters before she died in 1981 but even if I had, I was not terribly interested in her knitting then. More my loss.

Today, I only have one sweater from her mohair collection,  one in almost the same blue as the pattern image. It has become my sweater to wear when I'm feeling sick and it went to the hospital with my last year when I had my knee replaced. It's a physical reminder of my mother's love.

5 on Friday: October 2, 2015

1. Dismal start to October with chilly rain from the advance of Hurricane Joaquin. Right now it isn't supposed to hit us but I'll wait to see what happens this weekend. Chilly rain is fall weather so I shouldn't be surprised.

2. I had a knitting lesson last night! We Ladies had a posole dinner and then some knitting lessons. One woman did the casting on for me but then I plodded my way through a row and a half. Slowly. Very slowly. The table looked better than my knitting but that photo seems to have disappeared faster than the posole & cornbread did!

3. I'm finally into season four of Homeland before season five starts on Sunday. I did manage to watch 3 full seasons this week! When I picked up today's newspaper there was a headline on the Style section about this season's opener. I had to cover it up quickly but the spoiler did get into my brain. BooHiss.


4. I saw this on FB shared by Lynn Grieveson and found it fascinating, especially as I am half Lithuanian. Colorful Doors in Lithuania.

click image to read more

5. One book that I looked forward to in my reading of the Comissario Brunetti series by Donna Leon was a big disappointment.  Donna always has more comments on the state of government and morals in her beloved Venice but that is balanced by the main story and even more so by the wonderful descriptions of his family life and his meals. They make me want to get into the kitchen and cook! I don't recommend "By Its Cover" especially if this were to be your first in the 22+ book series. The earlier ones are much much better.

See you on Monday!

TBT: An English "Knitter" 1972

While his sister in later years paid no attention to her knitting lessons, firstborn son was his grandmother's first grandchild. He did pay attention on her 1972 visit to England. I had just had son #2 in January and my mother and I were going off to do the Tulip time in Holland. My mother was an avid gardener and the tulip fields as well as Keukenhoff left her breathless.

My Nana ( my mother's mother) was still there in England, having arrived before Christmas 1971. The wise British felt that a husband was not enough help for a new mother and wanted another person (preferably female) to be in the home with the new baby and mother, especially if there were other little ones. My mother convinced Nana to stay until her May visit and they could return to the US together. Poor Nana had been ready to go home earlier but we bribed her with weekly bingo trips and one week she even won the jackpot. However, she missed her regular games in Maryland and her bingo buddies. I suspect she was also ready to give up being a 'mother's helper.'

May in England...look at the lad, socks with his sandals, overalls and a long sleeved shirt. Yep, that was late spring attire.  Who knows if Dad (on the right) was impressed with the knitting. However, I'm still reminded of how darn comfortable that couch was.

TBT: The Non-Knitter circa 1978

My mother was a superb knitter as well as a seamstress. My grandmother could crochet anything as well as sew. I, however, had little interest in knitting or crocheting as I foolishly considered them old fashioned pursuits.  Now, of course, I wish I could do either.  I did learn to sew and used to do a lot of it. Then I lived where I had dressmakers so...that skill fell by the wayside.

It appears my 5 year old daughter was following in my foolish footsteps as I recall she paid no attention to the instructions her Grandma was trying to give her. It was not a good session.

Now, I have my needles, I have my yarn and yet I still don't know how to knit! Ah, we all have to learn the hard way it seems! But being happy with grey/white hair I don't have to worry about those roots like my mother did.

Five on Friday: January 2, 2015

I somehow don't find it hard at all to write 2015. Some years it takes me a long time to become accustomed to the new date but not this year, so far. I suspect that my limbo state of November that was consumed by knee surgery and recovery stretched into December when I did very little for Christmas. In fact, it almost passed me by unseen. A lot of my focus from Halloween on was how I would feel and what I would be able to do by January 2015.  Well, here it is and I can do most things I want to do.

Ok, I've yet to try getting up from the floor (as in Pilates or Yoga) nor have I attempted to get down on the floor. My physical therapist suggested 6 months. I can wait.

1. While I'm still not a knitter, yet, I think this is the coolest idea. Many times in my life I've had a lidless tea pot but just not now. But if you have one, give it to a knitter! or a crocheter.

2. Are you doing OLW this year? That's "One Little Word" a year long project that Ali Edwards does and it gives you a chance for a lot of reflection and potential for change and growth. I started one year and followed through. Started another year, 2013, and never did much of anything. This year? I feel the need for change and my word is space. Not the NASA kind but free and open space. This Virgo has hemmed herself in with too too much, too much physical and mental clutter. If you want to have a go with this project, click this link.

3. Though I have had a quiet December, I got the cooking bug on New Year's Eve, mostly as I had a 4lb package of ground beef that wanted cooking. After about 90 minutes in the kitchen we have a pot of chili-mac (sans the mac), a batch of meatballs in sauce, and a good sized meatloaf. I hold himself that if I croaked before 2015, he'd be good for meals for almost 2 weeks. He was impressed with the food and that I had been standing for that long. Actually, so was I.

4. Yes, I'm a bit late to the party but I have thoroughly enjoyed semi-binge watching Parenthood. Yes, it reminds me of Brothers and Sisters which I also loved via Netflix.  I'm only in season 2 so I have some fun ahead!

5. One of the things that was strongly suggested to me when I finished my knee physical therapy was to get back to the gym. Yep, the journey continues again but now I know how much a part my former exercising helped me during and post surgery. I'd still rather pretend I don't need it but I know. I really know.